This was originally posted on visuallyinfected.com. It has been preserved for posterity here, as it no longer exists.
Q: What got your attention into Digital artwork?
A: I started out with digital art when I was thirteen and I was making stuff for my first website. I remember using Photoshop 3 or 4 at that time. As I started surfing around the net, I found so many sites with some great art on it, so much so that I wanted to try it myself. I wanted to express myself in a way that was different at the time, and ever since, for the last six years, that’s all I have been doing.
Q: What goes through your head as you create and or recreate your works of art?
A: There is a synergy between myself and my artwork. Whenever I sit down and start creating, my stories flow from my brain, out of my hands, and into the computer. I have always believed that art is an expression of one’s life and one’s experiences. I always try to look for the best way or new ways to express those feelings and experiences. Sometimes I try to hide the meaning somewhere within the piece, or I am straight out blunt with the message. It depends on many factors. With me, my mind is always in 1,000 places at once. I just catch myself in one place and work from there.
Q: What programs do you find essential to creating your work, and why?
A: I have used Photoshop from the very beginning. I learned that first, that is pretty much the reason. I started out by being a filter addict, then slowly moved away from that, taking my time to find out what looked good and what didn’t. Besides that, I use Illustrator for obvious reasons. Depending on the nature of the piece, I’ll use a number of 3D programs from 3D Studio Max to Terragen. But all in all, without Photoshop, I think I would still be trying to learn to draw traditionally.
Q: Do you think there has ever been or will be a major turning point in your art career?
A: There have been a few turning points in my art. As many people know, I have denominations to my work, I don’t just make one kind of art, I learn something new and take it along with me for the ride. I think the biggest turning point in my career was when I grabbed hold of my sister’s digital camera for a few months. I went out and took pictures of anything and everything, threw it into Photoshop and played around with it. Since then I’ve been known for my photomanipulations, and I have never swayed from that. I am a man of the times, and I feel I will move with the trends, I’ve had my share of abstract and “trendwhorish” images, and whatever trend comes next, I’m sure I’ll have my try at that. As to what might come next, I am getting into traditional art a lot more, pieces with simple pencil and paper, and more collage type pieces. Other than that, only God knows what I will do next.
Q: If you were an instructor in a digital art class, what would you say to your class on the first day, as a motivational speech?
A: Haha, funny you say that because I have given a few lectures on the subject. What I have said to them is what I would say to my students. Art is something that is dependent on the creator, before you do anything, find the reason you make it. Whether it’d be for yourself, dedicated to a loved one, or to show off, find that reason first. Then let your imagination soar. The program does not make the art, the artist does. Let your pieces reflect a part of you that needs to come out, something nobody has ever seen before. Look for inspiration in places that you wouldn’t normally find it. Use your power to inspire others, and in turn they will inspire you. Don’t be afraid to dream. Don’t be afraid to be different. Those are the ones who are are usually remembered. Let the tools you use in this class be the key to a new world, I say this to both the inexperienced and the experienced. If we only use 10% of our mind, then there has to be something new to see. Find it and let it run wild.
Q: Kinda an off topic question, but it will give our readers a better understanding of you. What would you take if you could take one thing to a solitary island?
A: Hmm… one thing. I’d take a camera. I am a person who loves to keep memories. If I ever left that island, I want to remember the times and the experiences I had there. If I wasn’t able to leave, then the person that might follow me would be able to see my life there in pictures, which is the simplest form of communication.
Q: Is there anything in digital art you wish to achieve?
A: Something I had said in one of the sections of an earlier versions of Avalonstar that can answer this question is as follows: “I may not be one of the best designers in the world, nor may I ever be. But there is one thing that matters to me - happiness. My happiness, the happiness of the people who have helped me, and the happiness of my fans. That’s what I care about, because those are the people who matter to me. Without them, as cliche as it may sound, this site would have been another ‘dot com.’ I’m glad that never happened. Will I fulfill my dream? I sincerely hope. But there is one thing I will never stop doing, designing. I believe that the sight of something beautiful makes people remember it. I want you to remember that there’s a story behind every web page ever made. If I succeed in showing you that, showing you the dedication that the thousands of web designers have around the world; I would have completed my job, and the jobs of people like me.”
Q: Any last words for our readers?
A: Do what you love to do, and do it well; whether you are a designer or a lawyer. If you don’t love what you do, there is no point to doing it. In life we have very few chances to get second chances, so why waste time doing what you don’t love? I found that out the hard way, and now it is my mantra. Stick by the people that you love, stick by the things that you do, and never let your guard down. Don’t waste your time trying to please everybody if you’re not pleased in the end. Ignorance is bliss, and I guess that is why I’m happy with life. And one last thing, be yourself, everybody says that but it is the truth. As long as there are stars in the sky there will always be somebody looking at them, loving and thinking of you.